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Question:
440-3510I have a bamboo in water that is yellowing. How can I bring back the color in this house plant? Marie, Norwich, CT

Mort's Answer:
The Umbrella plant (not to be confused with schefflera) is not a true bamboo. Cyperus alternifolia is a plant that does better in gravelly soil. This is often sold as bamboo. Mix potting soil with 50% coarse sand with a double pot or large saucer. It takes a lot of water. A true Bambusa is best planted outdoors in a wet area. Pogonatherum paniceum is a minature bamboo that is a grass. P. paniceum is best planted in regular potting soil. Unlike the Umbrella with a few leaves at the top of leafless stems, this grass has many leaves.

Question:
1097-914We are planning to put in some bamboo. Are there any that are hardy for us in zone 6? How deep do have to go down to curb their growth? Chad, Canton, IL

Mort's Answer:
Bambusa and phyllostachys are good but as you indicated can be invasive. B.nana is a dwarf specie that grows to 15 feet high. Varieties include yellow and silver leaved plants. B.palmatum will only grow to eight feet with purple stems. Stay away from B. vulgaris. it will grow to 100 feet.
You may have to move the house. Do not buy Polygonum cuspidatum. It is called knotweed or Mexican bamboo but is definitely a weed that is near impossible to eradicate. Phyllostachys coccinea is not as hardy and grows to nine feet. You will need to go down at least two feet to create a barrier to stop spreading these musical plants. They usually are best planted against the north wind to get the most tunes.

Question:
195-5201What is the best way to get rid of Japanese Bamboo? Ann, Skoharry, NY

Mort's Answer:
Japanese Bamboo or Mexican Bamboo is not really bamboo. This reed like plant is the most invasive and persistent weed on the east coast. Many target sprays only knock them down. I have found that I need to be as persistent as the weed itself. Cultivating the area every week will discourage them but not kill them. You have to dig out all the roots. If you cut off one little hair root, the plant will come back to haunt you like Dracula from the grave. Before the leaves unfurl, they look like little red asparagus spears. When the spears pop up, is the best time to attack them and dig out all the root. This means loosening all the soil around them and gently pulling out the root. If it does not come easily, then you have probably broken the root and will have to dig deeper into the bowels of the earth to get all the root. Often times, because of the breaking off of roots, you will find a little stump under the ground.

Mort's Answer:
Some folks mistake Knotweed for bamboo. Simply digging out bamboo will work. This is not the case for Knotweed. You will have to dig out all the small fibrous roots of the Knotweed. It is definitely a weed and the herbicides just knock it down without a permanent solution. It may take years to eliminate it. Dig it out as soon as the little red tops appear of the surface of the soil.

Question:
798-3212What is the best way to get rid of fast growing bamboo? I have tried everything under the sun. Tried also to kill by cutting it down. Holly, South County, RI

Mort's Answer:
Some people call it Japanese Bamboo or Mexican Bamboo. It is neither Mexican or Bamboo. Knotweed is definitely a weed and it is invasive. It is very difficult to remove. There are some systemic chemicals that will kill it. Vine-X comes in a ketchup type squeeze bottle with a brush at the end. You paint it on the crown of each plant. Ortho also makes a systemic herbicide. Follow directions on the labels . They will kill any plant that they touch. Polygonum cuspidatum compactum is a dwarf variety that grows to two feet for those folks that like the flower that it grows. Most folks do not like either.